Robert Ludlum - Aquatain Progression.txt Read online

  offensive. Also my father. Since Mother died we have

  dinner once a week when he's not flying all over the

  place, courtesy of a couple of lifetime passes."

  "He still gets around a lot?"

  "One week he's in Copenhagen, the next in Hong

  Kong. He enjoys himself; he keeps moving. He's

  sixty-eight and spoiled rotten."

  "I think I'd like him."

  Converse shrugged, again smiling. "You might

  not. He thinks all lawyers are piss ants, me included.

  He's the last of the white-scarved flyboys."

  "I'm sure I'd like him.... But outside of your

  employers and your father, there are no shall we

  say priority entanglements in your life."

  "If you mean women, there are several and we're

  good friends, and I think this conversation has gone

  about as far as it should go."

  "I told you, I had a point," said Halliday.

  "Then why not get to it, counselor?

  Interrogatories are over. "

  The Californian nodded. "All right, I will. The

  people I spoke with wanted to know how free you

  were to travel."

  "The answer is that I'm not. I've got a job and a

  responsibility to the company I work for. Today's

  Wednesday, we'll have the merger tied up by Friday,

  I'll take the weekend off and be back on

  Monday when I'm expected."

  "Suppose arrangements could be made that

  Talbot Brooks and Simon found acceptable?"

  "That's presumptuous."

  "And you found very difficult to reject."

  "That's preposterous."

  "Try me," said Halliday. "Five hundred thousand

  for accepting on a best-efforts basis, one million if

  you pull it off."

  "Now you're insane." A second flash of light

  blinded Converse, this one remaining stationary

  longer than the first. He raised his left hand to block

  it from his eyes as he stared at the man he had once

  known as Avery Fowler. "Also, ethics notwithstanding

  because you haven't a damn thing to win this

  morning, your timing smells. I don't like getting

  offers even

  16 ROBERT LUDLUM

  crazy offers from attorneys I'm about to meet

  across a table."

  "Two separate entities, and you're right, I don't

  have a damn thing to win or lose. You and Aaron

  did it all, and I'm so ethical, I'm billing the Swiss

  only for my time minimum basis because no

  expertise was called for. My recommendation this

  morning will be to accept the package as it stands,

  not even a comma changed. Where's the conflict?"

  "Where's the sanityP" asked Joel. '&To say

  nothing of those arrangements Talbot, Brooks and

  Simon will find acceptable. You're talking roughly

  about two and a half top years of salary and bonuses

  for nodding my head."

  "Nod it," said Halliday. "We need you."

  " We? That's a new wrinkle, isn't it? I thought it

  was they. They being the people you spoke with.

  Spell it out, Press."

  A. Preston Halliday locked his eyes with Joules.

  "I'm part of them, and something is happening that

  shouldn't be happening. We want you to put a

  company out of business. It's bad news and it's

  dangerous. We'll give you all the tools we can."

  "What company?"

  "The name wouldn't mean anything, it's not

  registered. Let's call it a govermnent-in-exile.''

  "A what2"

  "A group of like-minded men who are in the

  process of building a portfolio of resources so

  extensive it'll guarantee them influence where they

  shouldn't have it authority where they shouldn't

  have it."

  "Where is that?"

  "In places this poor inept world can't afford.

  They can do it because no one expects them to."

  "You're pretty cryptic."

  "I'm frightened. I know them."

  "But you have the tools to go after them," said

  Converse. "I presume that means they're vulnerable."

  Haliday nodded. "We think they are. We have

  some leads, but it'll take digging, piecing things

  together. There's every reason to believe they've

  broken laws, engaged in activities and transactions

  prohibited by their respective governments."

  Joel was silent for a moment, studying the

  Californian. "Governments?" he asked. "Plural?"

  THE AQU1TAINE PROGRESSION 17

  "Yes." Halliday's voice dropped. "They're different

  nationalities."

  "But one company?" said Converse. "One

  corporation?"

  "In a manner of speaking, yes."

  "How about a simple yes?"

  "It's not that simple.'

  "I'll tell you what is," interrupted Joel. "You've

  got leads so you go after the big bad wolves. I'm

  currently and satisfactorily employed."

  Halliday paused, then spoke. "No, you're not," he

  said softly.

  Again there was silence, each man appraising the

  other. "What did you say?" asked Converse, his eyes

  blue ice.

  "Your firm understands. You can have a leave of

  absence."

  "You presumptuous son of a bitch! Who gave you

  the right even to approach "

  "General George Marcus Delavane," Halliday

  broke in. He delivered the name in a monotone.

  It was as if a bolt of lightning had streaked down

  through the blinding sunlight burning Joel's eyes,

  turning the ice into fire. Cracks of thunder followed,

  exploding in his head.

  The pilots sat around the long rectangular table in

  the wardroom, sipping coffee and staring down into the

  brown liquid or up at the Bray no one caring to break

  the silence. An hour ago they had been sweeping over

  Pak Song, firing theearth, interdicting

  theadvancingNorth Vietnamese battalions, giving vital

  time to the regrouping ARVN and American troops who

  soon would beunderbrutalsiege. They had completed the

  strike and returned to the carrier all but one. They

  had lost their commanding officer.. Lieutenant Senior

  Grade Gordon Ramsey had been hit by a fluke rocket

  that had winged out of its trajectory over the coastline

  and zeroed in on Ramsey's fuselage; the explosion had

  filled the jet streams, death at six hundred miles an

  hour in the air, life erased in the blinking of an eye. A

  severe weather front had followed hard upon the

  squadron; there would be no more strikes,

  perhapsforseveral days. There would be time to think

  and that was not a pleasant thought

  "Lieutenant Converse. " said a sailor by the open

  wardroom door.

  'Yes?"

  18 R08ERT LUDLUM

  "The ca plain requests your presence in his quarters,

  sir. " The invitation was so nicely phrased, mused Joel,

  as he got out of his chair, acknowledging the comber

  looks of those around the table. The request was

  expected, but unwelcome. The promotion was an hotter

  he would willingly forgo. It was not that he held

  longevity or seniority or even age over his fellow pilots; />
  it was simply that he had been in the air longer than

  anyone else and with that time came the experience

  necessary for the leader of a squadron.

  As he climbed the narrow steps up toward the

  bridge he saw the outlines of an immense army Cobra

  helicopter in the distant sky stuttering its way toward

  the carrier. In five minutes or so it would be hovering

  over the threshold and lower itself to the pad; someone

  from land was paying the Navy a visit.

  "It's a terrible loss, Converse, "said the captain,

  standing over his charts table, shaking his head sadly.

  "And a letter I hate like hell to write. God knows

  they're never easy, but this one's more painful than

  most."

  "We all feel the same way, sir. "

  "I'm sure you do. " The pa plain nodded. 'I'm also

  sure you know why you're here."

  "Not specifically, sir. "

  "Ramsey said you were the best, and that means

  you're taking over one of the Amok squadrons in the

  South China Sea. " The telephone mng, interrupting

  the carrier's senioroffeer. He picked it up. "Yes9"

  Whatfollowed was nothingJoel expected. The

  captain at first frowned, then tensed the muscles of his

  face, his eyes both alarmed and angry. "What?" he

  exclaimed, raising his voice. "Was there any advance

  notice anything in the radio roomy" There was a

  pause, after which the captain slammed down the

  phone, shouting, 'Jesus Christ!" He looked at Converse.

  "It seems we have the dubious honor of an unan-

  nounced visitation by Command-Saigon, and I do

  mean visitation!"

  "I'M return below, sir, " said Joel, starting to salute.

  "Not just yet, Lieutenant, "shot back the captain

  quietly but f rally. "You are receiving your orders, and

  as they affect the air operations of this ship, you'll hear

  them through. At the least, we'll let Mad Marcus know

  he's interfering with Navy business."

  The next thirty seconds were taken up with the ritual of

  THE AQUITAINE PROGRESSION 19

  command assignment, a senioro~ficer investing a

  subordinate with new responsibilities. Suddenly there

  was a sharp two-ra p knock the captain's door opened

  and the tall, broad-shouldered general of the Army

  George Marcus Delavane intruded, dominating the

  room with the sheer force of his presence.

  "Captain?" said Delavane, saluting the ship's com-

  manderfirst despite the Navy man's lesser rank. The

  somewhat high-pitched voice was courteous, but not

  the eyes; they were intensely hostile.

  "General, " replied the pa plain, saluting back along

  with Converse. "Is this an unannounced inspection by

  Command-Saigon?"

  "No, it's an urgently demanded conference between

  you and me between Command-Saigon and one of its

  lesser forces. "

  "I see, " said the four-striper, anger showing through

  his calm. "At the moment I'm delivering urgent orders

  to this man "

  "You saw fit to countermand mine!" Delavane

  broke in vehemently.

  "General, this has been a sad and trying day, " said

  the captain. "We lost one of our finest pilots barely an

  hour ago "

  "Running away?"Again Delavane interru pled, the

  tastelessness of his remark compounded by the nasal

  pitch of his voice. "Was his goddamned tail shot off?"

  "For the record, I resent that!" said Converse,

  unable to control himself "I'm replacing that man and

  I resent what you just said General!"

  "You? Who the hell are you?"

  "Easy, Lieutenant. You're dismissed. "

  "I respectfully request to answer the general, sir!"

  shouted Joel, in his anger refusing to move.

  "You what, prissy flyboy?"

  "My name is "

  "Forget it, I'm not interested!" Delavane whipped

  his head back toward the ca plain. "What I want to

  know is why you think you can disobey my orders the

  orders from Command-Saigon!I called a strike

  forfifteen hundred hours! You 'respectfully declined' to

  implement that order!"

  "A weather front's moved in and you should know

  it as well as I do. "

  20 ROBERT LUDLUM

  "My meteorologists say it's completely f gable!"

  "I suspect if you asked for that finding during a

  Burma monsoon they'd deliver it"

  "That's gross insubordination!"

  "This is my ship and military regulations are quite

  clear as to who's in command here."

  "Do you want to connect me to your radio

  room?l'll reach the Oval Of dice and we'll see just how

  long you've got this ship!"

  "I'm sure you'll want to speak privately probably

  over a scrambler. I'll have you escorted there."

  "Goddamn you, I've got four thousand

  troops maybe twenty percent seasoned moving up

  into Sector Five! We need a low-altitude combined

  strike from land and sea and weal have it if I have to

  get your ass out of here within the hour!And I can do

  it, Captain!. . . We're over here to win, win, and win it

  all! We don 't need sugarcoated Nellies hedging their

  goddamned bets! Maybe you never heard it before, but

  all war is a risk! You don 't win if you don 't risk, Ca

  plain!"

  "I've been there, General. Common sense cuts

  losses, and if you cut enough losses you can win the

  next battle. "

  "I'm going to win this one, with or without you,

  Blue Boy!"

  "I respectfuUy advise you to temper your language,

  General. "

  "You what?" Delavane's face was contorted in fury,

  his eyes the eyes of a savage wild animal. "You advise

  me? You advise Command-Saigon! Well, you do

  whatever you like Blue Boy in yoursatin pants but

  the incursion up into the Tho Valley is on."

  "The Tho,"interrupted Converse. "That's the first leg

  of the Pak Song route. We've hit it four times. I know

  the terrain. "

  "You know it9"shouted Delawne.

  "I do, but I take my orders from the commander

  of this ship General. "

  "You prissy shit-kicker, you take orders from the

  President of the United States!He's your commander in

  chief7And I'll get those orders!"

  Delavane's face was inches from Joel's, the

  maniacal expression challenging every nerve ending in

  Joel 's body: hatred matched by loathing Barely

  realising the words were

  THE AQUITAINE PROGRESSION 21

  his, Converse spoke. "1, too, would advise the General

  to be careful of his language."

  "Why, shit-kicker? Has Blue Boy got this place wired?"

  "Easy, Lieutenant! I said you were dismissed!"

  "You want me to watch my language, big fellawith

  your little silver bar? No, sonny boy, you watch it, and

  you read it! If that squadron of yours isn 't in the air at

  fifteen hand red hours, I'll label this carrier the biggest

  yellow streak in Southeast Asia! You got that,

  satin-pantsed Blue Boy, third class?"

  Onc
e moreloel replied, wondering as he spoke

  where he found the audacity. "I don't know where you

  come from, sir, but I sincerely hope we meet under

  different circumstances sometime. I think you he a pig

  "

  "Insubordination!Also, I'd break your back."

  "Dismissed, Lieutenant!"

  "No, Captain, you're wrong!" shouted the general.

  "He may be the man to lead this strike, after all. Well,

  what'll it be, Blue Boys? Airborne, or the President of

  the United States or the label?"

  At 1520 hours Converse led the squadron off the

  carrier deck. At 1538, as they headed at low altitude

  into the weather, the f rst two casualties occurred over

  the coastline; the wing planes were shot down f erg

  deaths at six hundred miles an hour in the air. At

  15461oel's right engine exploded, his altitude made the

  direct hit easy. At 1546:30, unable to stabilise, Converse

  ejected into the downpour of the storm clouds, his

  parachute instantly swept into the vortex of the

  conflicting winds. As he swung violently down toward

  the earth, the straps digging into his flesh with each

  whipping buffet, one image kept repeating its presence